Banking on Rahul

Arindam Sarkar

Can AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who would lead the Congress’ campaign in mid-2016 Assembly elections, revive the fortunes of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee? Bengal Congress is going through bad times. Its image has taken a battering; its stock has plummeted; it is groping in the dark; and it is yet to capitalize on the mistakes being made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government in the State.

Bengal Congress is desperately hoping that the resurrection of Rahul Gandhi would help the party to withstand the Mamata tsunami in the forthcoming Assembly polls in the middle of 2016.

A dejected Union Minister of State for Railways and Murshidabad District Congress president Adhir Chowdhury agrees that the Bengal Congress is in a sticky wicket. He pointed out even after the rout in 2011 Assembly polls, the CPI(M) could call a meeting at the Brigade Parade Grounds but the Congress doesn’t have the wherewithal to mobilize workers in the State.

Adhir realizes that the Congress faces an existential threat. It lacks political visibility. “The CPI(M) has been tested, tried and rejected. The Trinamool Congress is being tested and questioned. Congress could have emerged as an Opposition to the Trinamool. It is a golden opportunity for the Congress to make a comeback,” believes Adhir Chowdhury.

Adhir thinks Rahul Gandhi, as chief campaigner for he Congress, would definitely push up the adrenaline. He is a clean man with a good image. Rahul attracts the young generation. But he needs the support of the State leadership to bring about a drastic change. “Rahul cannot do a miracle overnight. He does not have a magic bullet. In Bengal, the party organization needs to be revived,” said Adhir Chowdhury.

The former Union railways minister, who is the Congress’ principal challenger to Mamata Banerjee, said the Congress needs an assertive leadership to rebuild the trust deficit; win people’s confidence; expose the State Government’s failures; rejuvenate the party workers and organization; and emerge as an alternative to the Trinamool in Bengal.

In September 2010, Rahul came to Bengal for a two-day visit. He campaigned in Bengal during the 2011 Assembly elections at Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, North Dinajpur, Murshidabad and Malda. In December 2013, he held a review meeting with senior Bengal Congress leaders and made few organizational changes. But they were cosmetic. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he campaigned in Bengal.

Most Congress leaders point out that both AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have always focused in North Bengal during elections because it is the Congress’ stronghold. The Congress’ six MPs Adhir Chowdhury, Abhijit Mukherjee and Mannan Hossain (Murshidabad), Mausam Benazir Noor and AH Khan Chowdhury (Malda) and Deepa Dasmunshi (Raiganj) come from these districts.

But in 2014 parliamentary polls, Congress could win only four Lok Sabha seats in Bengal. Adhir Chowdhury, Abhijit Mukherjee, Mausam Benazir Noor and AH Khan Chowdhury were elected to the Parliament.

Mausam Benazir Noor said, Bengal so far has had very little of Rahul Gandhi and if he visits frequently, it would benefit the party. “It will send a good signal. Mobilise people. Bengal wants to work under his leadership,” said Malda District Congress president Mausam.

Having worked under Rahul, as the State Youth Congress president, Mausam said Rahul is very hardworking, sincere and stresses on strengthening the party organization at the grassroots level. “He is always taking feedback from the lowest level to understand what people expect from the Congress,” she added.

Though the State Congress leaders are maintaining a brave front, the fact is they are up against an uphill task in 2016 Assembly elections. Congress leaders feel, the manner in which the Mamata wave is reaping votes, it seems Congress’ strength of 38 MLAs could reduce further. “We can only hope to increase our tally,” said Adhir.

However, senior Congress leader from Nadia Shankar Singh said that in 2004 Lok Sabha polls there was an alliance with Mamata and the Congress won six seats. In 2009, there was an electoral alliance with the Trinamool and the Congress won six seats. “So if the Congress fights the elections with the Trinamool, he result will be better,” said Shankar Singh.

Former PCC chief and Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya agreed that the PCC is in a moribund and its leadership is unable to capitalise on the fallacies of the Mamata government. Congress’ strength is mass-based and not cadre-based, but the leaders seem to have lost touch with the grassroots and it is the terror-tactics adopted by the Trinamool district workers against the Congressmen which is making it more difficult to work in the rural areas.

“Law and order has completely failed. State Government is fascist and democracy is being choked. Plus, Trinamool is engineering defections. They have already taken away our two MLAs Soumitra Khan and Ajoy Deb. I believe Rahul’s rise would infuse fresh energy into the party,” believes Pradip Bhattacharya.

Bengal Congress with its presence strength of four MPs and 38 MLAs is literally struggling against Mamata’s Trinamool. In July 2013 panchayat polls, they got washed out and Trinamool won more than 8,500 panchayats uncontested. In November 2013 municipality elections, Congress won only Barhampore Municipality and the Trinamool captured 13 out of the 17 civic bodies. In 2015 civic polls, Congress is a miserable performer.

Senior Congress leaders emphasized that Rahul should not ignore Bengal because unless the party is rejuvenated it would be impossible to take on the might of Mamata. Secondly, they said apart from campaigning, if Rahul ensures that the Assembly elections is held under the strict monitoring of the Chief Election Commissioner, then Mamata would not be able to flex her muscles.

Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said people are getting disillusioned with Mamata. The ponzy scam, rigging of elections, making empty promises, laying more foundation stones than inaugurating projects, giving false employment figures and high-handedness is affecting the very image that people admire about Mamata. “It is high-time Rahul Gandhi gives priority to Bengal. Congress here is up against a leader who is high on hyperbole and rhetoric and low on performance,” claimed PCC general secretary Om Prakash Mishra.

With the Bengal Congress in the pits, Pradip Bhattacharya hopes the face; energy; dynamism; and the leadership of Rahul Gandhi could save the party and revive the organisation from the booth to the State level. “Emergence of Rahul Gandhi is welcome,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi knows that Bengal is a tough turf. Mamata is a difficult customer and people are still with her. So, it would take more than rhetoric and promises to wane the Mamata magic.